Castlevania: Portrait of Chaos

Chapter Fifteen: Hell’s Bells Toll for Thee

“Say, why does that red pegasus have Trevor’s whip anyway?” Grant asked, shifting what was left of his wings a bit.

“It was passed on to his family. Let me say you missed out on so much back home.” Eric answered, sighing.

“Really, like what for example?” Grant inquired, rubbing his chin with a hoof.

“I’d spend more time telling you what you missed out on, but now isn’t the time for simple lollygagging. We have to take care of something that has stolen Dracula’s minions for her own use. Yes, the thing that did so is a she.” Eric replied, a scowl on his face.

“So a female.… stole Dracula’s minions?! How the hay is that possible?!” Grant asked yet again, his eyes widening.

“It beats me. I’m surprised Death didn’t fall for her voodoo.” Charlotte sighed, trying to shake Jonathan awake again.

Discord appeared in front of Grant and said “Long time no see.”

“Hey! What’s  a bum like you doing free, Discord?” Grant replied rather warmly despite the frown evident on his face.

“Reformed.” Discord sighed, snapping the hairs on his tail like fingers and causing a bucket of water to appear. “Hey, blue pony, get out of the way.”

Charlotte saw the bucket and quickly complied. It tipped over and spilled its contents onto the red pegasus.

“Bwah!!  That’s way too cold!” Jonathan shrieked, scrambling to his hooves and shaking off the water that drenched him. His pelt returned to its normal red hue.

Rainbow Dash started laughing hysterically at the sight.

“Anyway, Grant, the female in question is….. my older sister….”Discord sighed despondently, his face showing traces of fear.

Grant crossed his forelegs. “‘Splains about everything now, but ah never knew ya had a sister.” He murmured angrily.

“Let’s get going before the problem gets worse. Lord knows what terrors the damned abomination for a sister of Discord be making at this time.” Charlotte said, causing all to look at her.

“Knowing her… she is probably… trying to find her ‘minions’ weapons made out of diamonds and silver…also they are types my kind cannot make through normal means.” Discord murmured, rubbing a lion’s paw on his chin.

“I know what type of diamonds you mean, dah-ling.” Rarity chimed, a smile on her face. “The only problem is… that they are supposed to…. in the heart of an active volcano in the land of the dragons… and if one were to use ice magic to cool it down… the diamonds melt.” She added, finding herself frowning.

“I get it, Havocia plans to use the fire demons to collect them, this is problematic indeed..” Discord stated, his eyes wide.

“Charlotte’s right. We’ve stalled too long now.” Loretta called, all eyes on her now. She sat on her rump and raised a hoof.

“Indeed.” Stella added, crossing her forelegs together.

“Here, here.” Jonathan stated, unfurling his good wing.

“Alright, people. Let’s get going already.” Vincent said, approaching the door rather carelessly.

Jonathan rose up and followed the priest, stopping him with his hoof. “Vincent, stay here where it’s safe. I don’t wanna risk you becoming a vampire again.” He said worriedly.

“Sweetie Belle, you and your friends should stay as well. Where we are going is no place for three fillies.” Charlotte said, going towards the door after loading her saddlebag onto her body.

All three of the crusaders said in unison, “AWWW MAN! WE WANTED MONSTER KILLER CUTIE MARKS!!!”

“Monster hunting is serious business that doesn’t tolerate any tomfoolery.” Stella added calmly, sheathing her sword and wrapping it around her body before going to the door.

“Trust us, we’re adults. We know things you’ve yet to comprehend.” Loretta stated, rising up and adjusting her bonnet before following her sister.

“Should I stay as well?” Twilight asked, a look of worry overcoming her face.

“Yes. Make sure this place is absolutely safe. For safe measures, a barrier would help a lot.  I’m betting my life nopony here has had any experience with the dangers we faced.” Charlotte answered, helping Jonathan load his saddlebag onto his body.

“I’m staying here too.” Eric commented, smiling warmly.

“Eh. It’d be less trouble if I sat here too, though I’d probably be bored outta my mind.” Grant said rather begrudgingly.

“It can’t be that bad. Stop worrying so much, for crying out loud. That’s the job of the living.” Jonathan chimed, a wide grin on his face.

The four ponies went out of the door and into the now-empty streets of the town. The windows were lit, and ponies looked at the quartet expectantly. The small band of travellers began galloping northwards posthaste, soon exiting the town and entering somewhat new territory.

For fleeting moments of time, only the sounds of their hooves hammering the ground hit their ears. They stopped for a moment and turned to glance at Ponyville for possibly the last time. Around its frame a giant barrier had formed, and another under that.

“Nothing can enter or leave the town now.” Charlotte sighed with a smile on her face.

A loud roar was heard, accompanied by powerful wing-beats.

“Great, I hate this…” Jonathan hissed, his eyes narrowing low as he turned around. The others also turned and found a purple beast with a green underbelly approaching them. It had a long and slender neck, and had leathery wings for forearms. It had deadly talons with four toes each, three in the front and one in the rear.

It dragged behind it a chariot, the same one that Luna had used.

“Are you working for Havoica?!!”  Jonathan asked, pointing accusingly at the beast. The beast shook its head as if to reply as it landed gracefully, letting the chariot hit the ground softly.

It then flew inches above the ground, making things with its talons.

“A wyvern that knows sign language? This is new.” Charlotte commented before glancing at the others. “He wants to help us get to Canterlot. Apparently, a long time ago, his family… owed a life debt to the ponies.”

“So, he’s simply carrying out  a tradition?” Stella asked, arching an eyebrow. Charlotte nodded, then trotted over to the chariot and climbed on. The others looked at each other and shrugged before following suit.

The wyvern roared and took the skies again, carrying the chariot with. The beast flew high up under the clouds, giving the passengers another good view of the landscape below. There weren’t many things below, but this was because of the darkness of the night shadowing many things.

“I could’ve sworn I saw a rainbow trail two seconds ago.” Charlotte commented, shaking her head. “I must be dreaming.”

“I WISH I were dreaming.” Jonathan sighed, noticing a town filled with moving shapes in the distance. In its northernmost part was a castle imbedded into the mountainside.

“Couldn’t agree more.” Stella added, rolling her eyes.

“Life is a funny old thing. But this is entirely the vision of some madman who spent fifty years in a nuthouse.” Loretta snapped, rubbing her foreleg with a hoof.

“I know it’s not Canterlot anymore, buuut how the heck is the castle surrounded by a green barrier?” Charlotte asked worriedly as she gazed at the sight.

“I’d normally ask the questions, thank you very much.” Jonathan sighed, crossing his forelegs together.

“Oh great, is that what I think it is?” Stella asked, looking down the side of the chariot and noticing flying shapes head towards the vehicle.

The wyvern roared and began spewing fire underneath its form as if hoping to ward off whatever hell was coming.

The beast soon took a steep dive towards the castle and swerved in a sharp u-turn, making a quick and harsh landing at the entrance of the town. Despite the sudden change of direction and gravity being a little bit of a bastard, the four ponies didn’t suffer any more harm than what was done to them.

The streets of Canterlot’s remains were deathly quiet. The wyvern detached the harnesses of the chariot from its body and turned to the group of four. It then bathed itself in its own fires, letting its ashes intermingle and become something else altogether.

The beast’s new form gave off a soft blue glow and floated down to Charlotte like a feather. She took it out of the air and examined it.

It was a spell scroll. She put it in her book and would’ve put it into her saddlebag had she not heard sounds in the distance.

“Looks like we got company!” Jonathan cried, prying out the cross from his saddlebag and loading it into his hoof.